Jacky Connolly is an American artist based in New York City whose practice draws on film, literature, transmedia world-building, and storytelling. She began playing The Sims in the early 1900s and now uses the game to create new worlds for her machinima productions. Among her most celebrated works is Hudson Valley Ruins (2016), a 30-minute video exhibited by the Whitney Museum of American Art. Connolly's work has been featured at several international events, including Post-Apocalyptic Realism at the Museum Brandhorst in Munich, Germany, and the Art Cologne film program in Cologne, Germany.